


A Simple Happiness

by shenala



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bucky Barnes & Sam Wilson Friendship, Captain America Steve Rogers/Modern Bucky Barnes, Gen, M/M, Modern Bucky Barnes, Tattoo Artist Bucky Barnes, War Veteran Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2020-06-26 12:52:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19768594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shenala/pseuds/shenala
Summary: Coffee is spilled.Two Brooklyn boys meet.Happiness gets found, hopefully.





	1. It Began With Coffee

So it started like this: Steve was overwhelmed by choice, again.

There were just so many options for everything, from the type of bread you could buy to the endless possibilities on TV, and in this case, coffee.

And as he stood staring up at the chalkboard menu, his gaze flickering between words that really meant nothing to him (what even is a _yuangyang_ anyway?), Steve once again resigned himself to the inevitability of ordering a simple black coffee to go.

But when the barista (another word Steve struggled to wrap his head around sometimes) asked him for his order, he found himself unable to speak, his mouth unwilling to utter a request that it knew he didn't want. He didn't even like black coffee. He'd never liked black coffee. And so instead, he stumbled backwards with a muttered apology and turned to leave. It didn't quite work out though.

The first sign that something had gone wrong was the brief but no-less noticeable press of a firm body against his, the second was the "oh shit" that followed, and the third? Well that was when he realised that coffee was soaking through his shirt, very hot coffee it turns out.

"I am so fucking sorry, pal. Marilena can I grab a towel or something? I didn't see you and then I turned and you turned and well... again, really sorry. Are you okay? Did I burn ya?"

Steve was aware of these words being spoken to him, except the towel request that went to the woman behind the counter, he could see the lips of the man forming them, he could hear them and yet for a moment that felt like an hour all he could do was stare. Because he was beautiful.

Eventually, Steve shook himself out of his stupor and convinced his brain that words were needed. Shaking his head in reassurance, he halted the man's wrist as he continued to dab gently at the spreading coffee stain. "S'fine was my fault, I should've looked... sorry about your drink."

Steel grey eyes snapped up to meet his own oceanic blues with a chuckle, "My drink? Don't worry about it. Er, listen, my place is right down the street, you can literally see my bedroom window from the door, let me lend you a clean shirt? It's the least I can do."

"Really, I'm fine, I live nearby, you don't need.."

"I know I don't need, but it'd make me feel a lot better about drowning ya in coffee. Besides, if you live close it'll just make it easier for you to get my shirt back to me later won't it?"

As the barista (Marilena, Steve made a note to remember) handed over a fresh cup to the man in front of him and retrieved the sodden towel, Steve allowed his gaze to roam freely for a second. He was just short of Steve's height but was built slightly thicker, his broad shoulders carrying down to equally strong thighs, unlike Steve's own narrow waist, and dark brown hair was pulled back from his face in a short ponytail, although a few loose tendrils fell around his jawline. Steve was fairly certain he'd never seen a prettier sight, nor had he ever experienced such an instant punch of attraction to another man.

So, wanting nothing more than a few extra moments to admire, Steve nodded, smiled a little as he ducked his head, and said, "Ok, thanks, that sounds great."

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

As he was led out of the coffee shop, the brunet man turned and slapped his palm to his forehead before thrusting it in Steve's direction, "I'm rude, sorry, should've introduced myself, Bucky Barnes."

"Steve Rogers."

"Nice to meet ya Steve, sorry about the circumstances" he chuckled before continuing, "anyway, I promise I'm not a serial killer or anything."

With a sly grin, Steve queried, "isn't that what a serial killer would say?"

Bright, loud, ringing laughter came in reply, "yeah I suppose they would. Hey, Lucco!" Bucky shouted across the street to a man sitting outside an antiques store, "tell my new friend I'm not a serial killer would ya? Just 20 seconds of a good character reference is all I need!"

"Jamie? A serial killer? Well, that's just daft son!" Lucco shouted back with an easy smile, "When he was, what, 7 years old, he saw a bird get run over by a cab and ran home to his Ma crying that they needed to do something to keep birds safe. And then there was the time.."

"Yes thanks, Lucco, that'll do, I didn't need you to start recounting every ridiculous thing I did as a kid" Bucky cut him off with a desperate hand gesture.

"Well alright, but if your friend ever wants to know anymore he knows where to find me."

Groaning, Bucky took Steve by the elbow and pushed him gently down the street, "please, never ask him about me."

"Why? What could be so bad Jamie?" Steve laughed.

"NO. Absolutely not. Please don't call me Jamie, or James, which is my first name but only Ma calls me that when I'm in trouble or Jimmy. Just Bucky. Please."

"Okay, _Just_ Bucky."

Another groan came from the brunet, "you're a punk Steve, y'know that?"

"Takes one to know one, Jerk" came Steve's chuckled response.

At this point, Bucky stopped walking and directed Steve into a shop. "After you Steve. I'm just upstairs so we can cut through to the back."

"Won't the owner mind?"

"Ya wanna ask him? Go ahead, it's me."

"What?"

"My shop Steve, that's why I live upstairs."

That brought Steve to a sudden stop so he could take in his surroundings. He looked to be in a waiting area with a small reception desk and a handful of comfortable looking chairs scattered around the room, there were two other rooms off to the side, doors slightly ajar but not enough to see in, and a third door at the back with a large "no entry sign" on it. But when Steve's attention fell to the walls his breathing stuttered because they were covered, but not cluttered, with art of every kind Steve could think of and it made his fingers itch just looking.

"You're a tattoo artist?" Steve asked, turning to Bucky with a look of awe clear across his face.

"Yeah, this isn't all mine" Bucky gestured at the walls, "some of it is the other artists that work here"

"It's gorgeous Bucky."

"Glad ya like it, now come on let's get you that shirt."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Upstairs, Steve couldn't stop himself relaxing in Bucky's apartment, it was just comfortable in a way he hadn't experienced since... well since his Ma was alive he guessed.

The furniture didn't match, in fact, nothing did, but it was clearly lived in and loved. Books lined one wall, while art covered most of the others. One corner was taken up by a kitchen that was clearly used far more often than Steve's, with the rest of the space being a living room, the dining table marking the change between the two. Two doors led to the bedroom and bathroom respectively, and it was the former that Bucky had ducked into upon entering with a backwards shout of "make yourself at home Steve".

Drawn out of his observations by the man himself, he was handed a soft long-sleeved dark blue shirt and directed to the bathroom to change.

As Steve deposited his coffee-soaked button-down into the sink and pulled on the one given by Bucky, he instantly realised it was softer than anything he owned and took a moment to revel in the feel, and scent, as it surrounded him. Looking up into the mirror he was surprised to see that he actually looked softer wearing it and he wished, just for that moment, that he could be the reflection he saw.

But, he reminded himself with a grimace, he wasn't. He was Steve Rogers, he was Captain America and there was no time for soft in his life. Not anymore.

Grasping his shirt he stepped out of the bathroom, Bucky looking up with a smile as soon as the door opened, "looking good Rogers."

Blushing, Steve ducked his head with a wry chuckle, "thanks Bucky, I'll, er, get it back to you as soon as I can."

Bucky stalked (really there was no other word for that walk) towards Steve before holding out his phone, "here, put your number in and we'll meet for coffee, hopefully without either of us wearing it."

Shaking his head Steve put in his details and handed it back, soon hearing his own phone's notification in his pocket.

"Sent you a text so you know it's me" Bucky explained, "just let me know when you're free."

"I will" Steve nodded, "anyway, I better get going, but thanks again Bucky."

"S'alright Steve, I'm the one who tried to drown ya in caffeine. Come on I'll walk you downstairs."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Outside the shop, Steve couldn't ignore the feeling of wrongness in his stomach as he prepared to step away from Bucky, it was crazy to be attached to someone he didn't know but that's how it felt.

"Well, was nice to meet ya Stevie" Bucky teased, his hand outstretched to shake Steve's, giving it a quick squeeze as their fingers met. "Let me know about coffee yeah? Be nice to have a new friend."

Some of the writhing in his stomach eased at that, replaced by warmth at the idea of Bucky wanting to be his friend.

Returning the brunet's grin, Steve nodded, "Yeah, you're right. Thank you.. again."

Stepping away from Bucky, Steve offered a final wave which was returned with a bright "see ya soon Steve", before turning to walk back down the street, taking a left just half a block away from Bucky's home to reach his own, far emptier, apartment.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
That night, separated by barely a dozen buildings, two men lay in their respective beds staring at the ceilings above them.

For Steve, it meant lying in his sparse bedroom, in a bed chosen by SHIELD, with sheets that, while softer than anything he'd had before, still felt coarse against his over sensitised skin. As he took in the blankness of the white paint his thoughts returned to brown hair and grey eyes, bright smiles and sharp laughs, soft shirts and the hope of friendship and maybe, if he was really lucky, some understanding.

For Bucky, it was a little different. His bedroom was cluttered, "but in a neat way Ma!", with books, comics, art, clothes, you name it, but everything had its place. Including the cat curled around his head on the pillow. His bed was comfortable with the mattress being the first thing he'd splurged on when he'd moved in and his sheets were a lightweight brushed cotton; soft but not too warm. He looked up to a ceiling covered by a colourful mandala tapestry (it hid a couple of water stains), letting his eyes rove the comforting pattern as he thought of the bluest eyes he'd ever seen, shy smiles, _that_ waist, and the anticipation of getting to know the man who brought it all together.

And for both men, their sleep would be disturbed the memories of warfare, of loss and of the crippling fear of not knowing where you were when you broke through the surface of a suffocating nightmare.


	2. Caffeine Continuation

A couple of days had passed since the coffee incident. For Steve, they had followed his usual routine of waking up early (nightmares), running the Brooklyn streets until the borough started to wake up around him, returning home for breakfast and then staying there for the rest of the day trying to make a dent into the seemingly endless list of "stuff other people thought he should know", while dithering over whether or not it was too soon to text his new friend about meeting for coffee.

For Bucky, the 48 hours ticked by accompanied by working in the shop, looking after Winter the cat, being badgered by his Ma, being badgered again by his sister and wondering when, if ever, his phone would chime with a text from the attractive blonde he'd met only two days earlier.

So when his phone did in fact light up with a new message from Steve, Bucky isn't too proud to admit that he dived on it like a drowning man onto a lifeboat.

>> Steve: "Hi Bucky, it's Steve, from the coffee shop the other day. I was wondering if you'd be free to meet up one day this week, so I can get your shirt back to you? It's freshly washed and ironed. S.Rogers"

>> Bucky: "Hey Steve, is 11:30 today good for you? I've got a break between clients then."

>> Steve: "That's fine, meet you there? S.Rogers"

>>Bucky: "Yep, don't buy anything though, it's on me!"

Unbeknown to the other, both men were grinning like fools as they exchanged the brief messages, before matching looks of horror crept across their faces as they realised they wanted to look good and that was going to require work!

Steve set out on his morning run with an extra spring in his step, actually smiling at the parents with strollers that he usually tried to just sidestep and avoid eye contact with, and when he finished his circuit and returned to his apartment it was with a sense of purpose. Shoulders back, chin raised, "Okay Rogers, let's smarten up" pep talk completed in the mirror, he got started.

Having enough hot water to actually stand and relax in the shower was still something he wasn't entirely used to, his brain kept telling him to hurry up and get washed before it turned cold, but today he let himself soak in the feeling of water washing away sweat and tension.

One towel wrapped around his hips, he quickly scrubbed the excess moisture out of his hair with another, it would air-dry quickly enough he just didn't want water dripping down his neck. Casting a critical eye over his appearance in the mirror he ran a palm across his jawline before picking up a razor and shaving foam and getting to work, musing that maybe one day he'd grow a beard, he liked that idea.

From his closet, he pulled a pair of S.H.I.E.L.D provided jeans that felt stiff and rough in his hands but would probably make a better impression than slacks or sweatpants, followed by a simple white button-down shirt, almost exactly the same as the one Bucky had spilt coffee on, before lacing up his shoes and turning his attention to his hair briefly before giving up on trying anything different and instead just combed it into its usual place.

Glancing at the clock Steve saw it read 11:15, leaving plenty of time for him to walk the short distance to the coffee shop, and picked up his phone, wallet and keys before heading out.

Bucky's morning thankfully wasn't an overly busy one with just one client pencilled in before he met Steve. Once he'd wrapped the freshly-inked skin, reiterated the aftercare rules and taken payment he ran upstairs, taking them two at a time, before barrelling into the shower, taking care not to get his hair wet (he did not have time for that!)

Unlike Steve, Bucky didn't give a moments thought to shaving. He usually boasted a certain amount of stubble around the lower portion of his face and he knew he still had a day or two before it needed tidying up.

Having already laid out his outfit earlier that morning he didn't need to deliberate over what to wear and simply tugged on his thigh hugging black jeans, followed by a bicep clinging long-sleeved maroon henley shirt and the customary black combat boots that were rarely far from his feet.

The steam from the shower had brought a slight curl into his hair and Bucky hesitated for a second before pulling it back into a loose bun at the nape of his neck. Leaving it loose would've been nice but Bucky would be the first to admit that he tended to hide behind his hair when it was down and he wanted to look confident today.

Keys? Check. Phone? Check. Wallet? Check. Let's go.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Bucky strolled up the street to the coffee shop, he could spot Steve almost instantly as the other man sat at a table, facing the wrong way to notice Bucky's approach.

Just as Bucky reached an appropriate distance to shout a greeting though, one of the neighbourhood kids ran up to the blonde with a bright grin.

"Excuse me, Captain Rogers? Could you sign my comic book please?"

Looking up in surprise, Steve nodded on instinct, "Er, yeah sure", before scribbling his unintelligible signature where the kid pointed.

With their smile reaching near face-splitting proportions now, the child quickly thanked him before running back in the direction they came from, leaving a blushing Steve in their wake.

"Gotta say, Steve, I can't imagine being that popular without buying the kid ice cream " Bucky teased as he slipped into the chair opposite the blonde, whose head snapped up at the sound of his voice, a look of panic clear on his face.

"Uh, hi Bucky, erm... I don't..it just.."

Hands out in a placating gesture, Bucky tried to soothe with a gentle smile in place of his teasing smirk, "Steve, it's fine, relax. Ya probably made that kid's week, he's gonna be telling all his friends that he saw Captain America and got him to sign his comic. That's major cool points."

Raising his gaze to meet Buckys, Steve knew his mouth was still twisted in a mix of embarrassment and fear as he quietly asked, "So you know then?"

"Yeah Stevie, I know. Didn't see it straight away though, but when you stepped outta my bathroom wearing my shirt? Yeah, then I knew."

Another flare of panic hit Steve, "Oh shit, Bucky, I forgot your shirt, that's the reason we're meeting!"

Bucky chuckled warmly, "S'alright Steve, let me get you a drink and then we'll worry about that yeah? What do you want?"

Dropping his eyes to focus on the table, Steve muttered: "I don't know".

If Bucky felt any surprise he hid it well as he ducked his head to force eye contact, "Okay, we'll work on that. As your friend it's my duty to show you all the best-caffeinated wonders of this corner of Brooklyn, but for today how about I just get you the same as me? Any allergies?"

Steve smiled then, "No allergies anymore Bucky, thank you."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Bucky sat back down a few minutes later he pushed one cup towards Steve while cradling his own, "there ya go, it's not my favourite thing, but you'll have to wait until fall for that." At Steve's raised eyebrow he continued, "Pumpkin Spice Latte, hey don't screw your nose up at me Rogers" he laughed, "it's good, it's cosy in a cup. Then there's Peppermint Mochas at Christmas, and when it's real hot the salted caramel iced latte is great. But this, this is an Amaretto Cappuccino, s'why I asked if you had any allergies, it's got almonds."

Taking a cautious sip, Steve couldn't have stopped the satisfied smile even if he wanted to, "That's good Bucky. I guess I'll have to trust you with my coffee education."

"Damn right Rogers, and I'm pretty good at book recommendations too if ya ever need somethin' to read."

With a snort of amusement, Steve shook his head, "I've got a list of what everyone says I need to know, few books on there." Looking up at the brunet across from him, he was surprised to see a frown in response to that, "what?"

Bucky's frown deepened before he replied, "This list, did you ask people for their recommendations? Or did they just decide you needed em?" Steve blushed at how quickly Bucky seemed to have got a sense of who he was and admitted: "more the last one, but they mean well."

Shaking his head did nothing to displace the furrow in his brow, "Could I see it? The list I mean, obviously you can say no, I just.."

"Of course, here" Steve tossed the notebook he constantly carried across the table and watched as the brunet seemed to just get more annoyed the more he read.

"Steve. What do you like?"

Struck dumb, the man in question simply stared dumbfounded at Bucky who continued when he didn't get an answer.

"Look, Steve, this list is great if you wanted to know the top 10 Google results..do you know what.."

"Yeah Bucky, I know what Google is. The internet is so helpful" came the dry reply.

"Then why do you need a list of what other people think is important? You might not know what you like right now, hell I had no idea who I was when I got out the Army, but that's something you find through trying different things, not working through a checklist that follows no rhyme or reason."

Slumping in his chair with a sigh, Steve felt a wave of resignation wash over him as he asked, "So where do I start?", dreading the vague answer that was sure to come.

But Bucky just dropped the notebook back onto the table, took a drink of his coffee, leaned back into his own seat before finally letting the frown drop from his face to be replaced with a warm grin that held an unmissable hint of trouble before he answered, "with coffee, of course."

Steve huffed a laugh at that but couldn't stop himself from saying, "and then what?", but Bucky was undeterred.

"And then we try all the different foods in Brooklyn, avoiding anything we know you don't like, that's just as important as finding what you do. We look at what you liked before the war and then see if that's still true. We expand your social circle outside of the Avengers. We work through your day and find ways to make each part better."

Then Bucky became serious, the switch so sudden it left Steve with a flash of unease before the brunet spoke again. "Steve, I know what it's like to come back from war. Granted, for me, it wasn't 70 years later, even if for you it feels like a few months. But I don't think you've really come back yet, have you? I know it's gonna be harder for you, not just cause of the time thing but also because you're still Cap, you've still got a job to do, but you're going to need to find a way to stop the job being your life, cause that's no way to live Stevie, trust me on that."

"You've met me twice Bucky and somehow you know me better than anyone else, except my Ma, how?" Steve laughed breathlessly, feeling the echo of asthma attacks past, as he shook his head.

"I think sometimes you meet someone and you just know. Right?" At Steve's nod, he continued, "Now, go ahead, ask me anything about me. Fairs fair."

Steve took a moment, cast his mind back at the first time they'd met and dragged his gaze over the man in front of him before settling on, "Erm, your arm, you hold it differently, were you hurt?", concern clear both in his voice and on his face.

The question drew a chuckle from the brunet who shook his head with a rueful smile as he replied, "you don't miss much do ya, Rogers? Yeah, it's a souvenir from Afghanistan. It's er, I'll show you" he paused to roll up his sleeve and twist his left arm in Steve's direction, "so we were in a convoy, truck I was in hit an IED, that's a.."

"Bomb, yes Buck, I know, Army Captain remember?"

"Right yeah, you outrank me by the way, anyway truck flipped and my arm got pinned. Broke every single bone, well shattered to be more precise. So I ended up with metal rods and an elbow replacement, plus a lot of skin grafts. S'why I started getting tattoos on this arm, cover the scars y'know?"

Steve reached out a single finger to trace across both the intricate designs and the scars they hid for just a second before seemingly realising what he was doing and snatching his hand back as his face flushed. "And now? Does it still hurt?"

Bucky shrugged but didn't hold back with his answer, feeling the need to give Steve nothing but honesty, "yeah, it's stiff in the morning, takes some time to wake up I guess, it's not as strong as it used to be, but I have to work on keeping the muscle tone up cause of the metal, a couple of places don't have a lot of feeling cause of nerve damage, but hey, could be worse. At least the ink makes it look pretty."

Nodding, Steve noticed that they both had finished their coffees and remembered that he still owed Bucky his shirt back, "so did you want to come get your shirt? Or I can drop it off at the shop?"

A glance at his watch told Bucky that he needed to get back for his next client, so he gave the blonde an apologetic grimace, "Sorry Steve, I've got an appointment I need to get to. But there's no hurry, next time we have coffee is good, or y'know you can drop by the shop any time you like, you're always welcome."

Steve smiled warmly in return before both men stood to leave, with Bucky drawing Steve in for a one-armed hug without a second thought, "see ya soon Stevie, text me!" the brunet stated before stalking off down the street in a hurry.

As he walked back to his apartment , Steve couldn't keep the small secret smile from his face as he reminisced on how easily Bucky had accepted who he was, and how readily he had declared that they were going to spend time together from now on.

For the first time in this new world, Steve Rogers had found someone who seemed to see the man before the shield and that was something worth smiling about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shenala.tumblr.com


	3. Red Star Ink

Unable and unwilling to wait any longer than necessary, Steve only held off 24 hours before he was walking down the street towards Bucky's shop, borrowed shirt firmly in hand this time.

He stepped through the door to the familiar sound of a bell chiming above his head, bringing a slight smile to his lips before he surveyed the main room for any sign of Bucky.

Steve had just finished his sweep, confirming that the brunet wasn't visible, when a heavily accented voice called out, "Bonjour! How can we help you today?".

Moving to stand from behind the reception desk came the source of the greeting, a shorter brown-haired man with a wiry moustache and a jauntily placed flat cap atop his head. "Ah, nevermind, you are not a customer are you mon Capitaine?" Hand outstretched, he continued, "Jacques Dernier. Previously very good at shooting things and particularly brilliant at blowing stuff up, but now I stick to just stabbing paying customers with needles."

"Steve Rogers. Pleasure to meet you".

"Ah, non! Pleasure is all mine monsieur. Let me get the boss. Barnes! Barnes! Bucky! I swear that man does not listen, please wait here."

Dernier then stormed off to one of the back rooms and proceeded to hammer on the door with his fist for a second before it was flung open to reveal the man himself, who then demanded, "Christ Frenchie, what?!"

"You have a visitor. I am quite sure he is not here to see moi!"

It was only then that Bucky actually paid attention to the rest of the shop, his eyes immediately spotting Steve still standing awkwardly just a few steps from the door. A bright grin instantly replaced the grumpy frown that had been aimed at Dernier, "Steve! Hi." he cheered as he bounded over to the blonde.

"Hey Buck, I, er, I hope this isn't a bad time, I brought your shirt back."

"No such thing as a bad time for a visit from you Rogers. Let me show ya around?"

Nodding without hesitation, Steve handed over the shirt which Bucky promptly chucked unceremoniously onto the desk before spinning around arms outstretched to gesture to the room at large.

"So, this is Red Star Ink. And this" here he jabbed a thumb in Dernier's direction "is Jacques Dernier, goes by surname or Frenchie most of the time. We served together in a multi-national group out in the sandbox. He's real good at making stuff go boom. Turns out he's also pretty great at piercing, who'd've thought? Then there's Morita, hang on... Morita, come out for a sec?"

The second back room's door opened at the call, another man stepping out; this one was of a similar size to Dernier with a bit more facial hair accenting his handsome Asian-American features.

Pulling him with an arm around his shoulders, Bucky continued "this is Private Jim Morita, another one of our unruly gang. He's actually Californian but realized the error of his ways when we got back. Good at shooting things and making skin art with needles. At some point, you'll meet the rest of the Howlies.."

Here Steve interrupted, curiosity dripping through his voice, "Howlies?"

It was Morita that replied, even as Bucky was opening his mouth to do so, "Short for Howling Commandos, name of our unit. Sarge here" he nodded to Bucky "was the boss, just as he is now. Then there's Dugan, Monty and Gabe, and of course me and Frenchie."

"Why were you called the Howling Commandos?" Steve asked, spinning around in surprise as the answer came from the still-open door behind him.

"Because they never shut up, that's why."

"Sam!" Bucky cheered, moving to pull the new addition into a tight squeeze before spinning around to face Steve.

"Sam, this is Steve. Stevie, this is Sam Wilson. For some reason he's my best friend, so don't believe anythin' he tells you."

Steve moved to offer a handshake as he spoke, "Nice to meet you Sam" but was pulled up short when the man in question snapped a salute his way with a curt "Captain Rogers, Sir".

Fumbling as he felt the tell-tale burn of an all-consuming blush, Steve waved it away with a desperate "oh please, no, don't do that" even as Bucky burst out laughing both at Sam's action and Steve's reaction to it.

"C'mon Wilson none of that, there's no Captains here, ain't that right Stevie?" Bucky continued without waiting for a response, "now Sam runs the bakery down the way with Gabe, 'cos Morita reckons he keeps his husband outta trouble but we all know that ain't true, and Riley, that's Sam's fiance, is an EMT because unlike the rest of us, he got out and decided he still needed to wake up at stupid hours of the morning to go to work."

Here Steve turned to Sam and asked, "Were you both in the Army with Bucky as well?"

Not missing a beat, Sam levelled a mischevious grin his way, "Oh hell no, me and Riley were Air Force." At the groans from the four Army men he pointed a challenging finger at the present Howlies and protested, "Hey, if it hadn't been for us comin' to rescue your asses you'd still be eating sand!" before adding for Steve's benefit, "we were both Para-Rescue."

With a barely concealed eye-roll, Bucky picked his thread of conservation back up, "Yeah yeah, we're all real grateful Sammy, I promise. Now, where was I? Oh right, so Sam works with Gabe at the bakery, Riley is an EMT, then there's Dum Dum and Monty who run The Fluffy Woodpecker bar a block over, don't ask about the name they used an online generator, and yes I'll explain that later, then there's Peter, he wasn't a Howlie but worked with us as a translator for a few weeks before we got blown up so he might as well be, anyway Parker and his Aunt run the bookshop over the road. Is that everyone? Yeah, good" he finished with nods from the other three.

Stepping close to Steve, Bucky murmured just quietly enough for only him to hear "don't worry about rememberin' all that, you'll meet everyone eventually, don't want to subject you to all of em at once, that'd be cruel." Steve flashed a grateful smile his way with a rueful chuckle, "thanks, Buck."

Attention back on Sam, Bucky asked if there was any particular reason for his presence, welcome though it was.

"Yeah, I won't be able to make our run tomorrow." Sam started, as Bucky groaned in response, "Don't look at me like that Barnes, Riley's got a few days off so I am staying in bed for as long as possible with no alarm clocks and pagers going off."

"You run?" Steve enquired.

Both Bucky and Sam nodded, with the latter adding "Yeah every morning. Started 'cos we couldn't sleep and then just kept doing it y'know? The rest are just too slow to keep up with us so they don't bother trying." His final comment drawing protests from both Dernier and Morita.

Eyes firmly on his feet Steve's reply was so quiet Bucky almost had to strain to hear it but made it out nonetheless, "You, er, I mean, I could, I run every morning too, so maybe I could join you tomorrow while Sam stays home?"

Bucky grinned as Steve still studiously avoided his gaze, a flush creeping up the blond's neck and beginning to crest the top of his ears at the attention. "That sounds great Stevie. Hear that Sam? We've got a new member of the running pack!"

That brought a burst of laughter out of Steve, causing the other men to all look at him in confusion "Sorry" he apologised breathlessly, "it's just, you're the Howling Commandos, you have a wolf in your shop logo and you think that two of you is a pack."

As Bucky enjoyed the sight of a brightly grinning Steve, Sam made a thoughtful noise of concession, "Y'know Barnes he has a point, are we a pack if there's just two of us?"

With a mock frown, Bucky poked Steve with a finger, declaring "well now you'll just have to run with us every day!" Fake consternation melting away at the smile he got in response as the blond easily agreed.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sam eventually had to leave to get back to the bakery before, in his words, "Gabe sets fire to the macarons again", leaving Dernier to head off to a dentist appointment (something he seemed pretty unhappy about) while Morita went back to his room to finish working on a design for a customer.

Looking at the time Bucky realized he didn't have all that long before his first (and thankfully only) client of the day showed up. "Sorry Steve, I've got a customer comin' in soon, but you're welcome to hang around? Either in here or you can go upstairs if you want? Then we can grab some food when I'm done, maybe?"

Bucky's reluctance for Steve to leave was obvious, even to the occasionally oblivious man himself, so he felt no hesitation in smiling and agreeing to stick around. "You sure you don't mind? I don't want to get in the way."

"You won't, but if you wanna go upstairs you can make yourself at home, watch somethin' or just relax?" Bucky offered.

And so, after Steve easily agreed he led him upstairs to his home for the second time so that he could introduce him to Winter before getting to work.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------  
About an hour or so later, Bucky flipped the sign on the door from "Open" to "Closed" as Morita had already finished up for the day and Dernier wasn't due back until tomorrow before locking up and heading up the stairs to his apartment.

Stepping into the room, he instantly located Steve on the sofa, his legs pulled up under him as he balanced a sketchbook on the armrest, pencil scratching furiously across the page while the cat curled around his socked feet.

At the sight, Bucky felt a punch of want at the simple domestic scene in front of him. Steve fit here, and Bucky couldn't help but hope that one day when a bit more healing had happened, it might become a more permanent fixture.

But enough daydreaming, that was future-Bucky's problem.

Moving closer to the blond, he placed a gentle hand onto the nape of the other man's neck as he leaned to look at what he'd created on the page in front of him, "Hey Stevie, what ya drawing?"

Steve had been so engrossed in his sketching that even his super-soldier instincts and enhanced hearing hadn't alerted him to Bucky's presence until that moment, a true sign of just how comfortable and at ease he was. Now though, he jumped slightly before throwing a sheepish smile at the brunet. "Sorry Buck, I shouldn't have used your paper, I just.."

Holding up the hand that wasn't in contact with heated skin, Bucky was quick to stop that thread before it got started, "S'alright Steve, I've got more than enough of em, you can have that one. Can I see?"

Turning the book for inspection, Steve was biting his bottom lip nervously, and Bucky soon saw why. Taking up the span of the page was him, well more specifically his left arm, tattoos intricately, and dare he say, reverently, replicated in pencil. Shock took his words away for a few moments before he shook himself from his stupor. "Wow, Steve. That's gorgeous. I mean, I know it's my arm so that might be kinda vain, but you're incredibly talented!"

Steve's blush was out in full force at the praise but he finally made eye contact when he replied, "Thanks Buck, I probably shouldn't have drawn you without askin', but I think your tattoos are just beautiful... and er, I went to art school. Before the war y'know? Had a few jobs drawing ads and stuff as well."

Bucky walked around the sofa to crouch at Steve's knees, a bright yet soft grin lighting up his face, "well Stevie, looks like we've found somethin' you like. Actually, would you maybe wanna do some designs for us in the shop sometime? Y'know either for customers or to put on the wall? I mean, obviously you don't have to, I just, well.."

"Bucky, you're rambling, stop!" Steve laughed. "I'd love to. Just let me know what kind of thing you want, and I'll work on it. And yeah, this is good, it felt right. Felt like me. Y'know?"

"Yeah Steve, I know." Bucky smiled softly back.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The pair spent a couple more hours just existing in each others space. Steve still drawing, some just doodles, others more detailed sketches, including a couple more of Bucky. While the man in question spent his time working on a design for a customer before swapping it out for the book he was reading, Winter happily snoozing between the pair.

Eventually, Bucky's stomach drew him out of his reverie as it grumbled loudly enough to make Steve look up with a laugh. "Hungry Barnes?"

Nudging his thigh with his foot, Bucky shot back a childish "Shut up Rogers" before getting up and making his way over to the fridge.

"You're staying for dinner right, Stevie? How does chicken stir fry sound?"

When an affirmative response came back, he moved into the process of getting the meal ready, carrying both heavily laden plates over to the sofa when he was finished.

Handing Steve his, the blond accepted it with thanks and a grateful smile, "I like stir fry. Tastes good and even I can cook it" he joked.

Bucky laughed, "well then you're better than I was when I got home, I think I actually burnt water a couple of times. Eventually, the boys all took pity on me and took turns teaching me the simple stuff."

Saluting him with a full fork of noodles, Steve mumbled through a mouthful "well I'm grateful to them then."

After dinner, when the dishes had been washed by Steve (at his insistence) and dried by Bucky, it was time for the pair to part, despite the shared reluctance to do so.

Bucky again walked Steve downstairs, partly because he had to unlock the door to let him out, but also because he wanted to drag out the time they had together to every possible second.

When goodbye couldn't be postponed any longer, it was Steve that pulled Bucky in close for a hug this time. Both of his iron-strong arms wrapping securely around Bucky's waist while he tucked his head into the brunet's neck where the hair was free of its constraints for once. In return, Bucky's arms found their way to broad shoulders as he pulled the blond impossibly closer, hooking his own chin into the space below Steve's ear. The pair just standing, holding and breathing in each other for a few long moments before they simultaneously broke apart.

"So," Steve began, scuffing his feet on the pavement, "I'll see you in the morning right?"

"Yep, meet you here at 7? I know it's later than normal for you but..."

"7 is fine Buck, I'll be here. I might even go easy on ya, seeing as how you made dinner" he teased the brunet.

Huffing indignantly, "go easy on me? How dare you! Actually, wait, yeah, I forgot the whole serum thing" he gestured to Steve's entire body with a wave of his hand, "I guess you might actually have to slow down a little for me." When his gaze moved back to Steve's face he felt a stutter in his chest at the sheer openness of the expression he found there. "What?" he queried.

Steve shook his head in disbelief before pulling Bucky in for a hug so quick Bucky nearly missed it before it was over, "Nothin', just you're the first person who's ever 'forgot' y'know? Makes me feel human, I guess."

"Steve you're the most human human ever.. wait, that didn't make sense."

Steve laughed as Bucky attempted to fix his own confusion, "I know what you meant Buck, thank you. I'll see you in the morning. Make sure you get your beauty sleep!" he snarked as he started to walk away.

"How dare you?!" Bucky squawked, "I am beautiful. You're the one who needs the beauty sleep, old man!"

Still walking backwards to keep his sights on Bucky, Steve laughed, bright and easy, "Yeah? Reckon you've got more wrinkles than me, Barnes."

As another indignant noise escaped the brunet, Steve shot him a final wave before turning in the right direction as he headed home, a grin stamped across his face and an undeniable spring in his step.

At Steve's departure, Bucky couldn't help but chuckle as he watched the blond walk away, shaking his head at how easily it all came with Steve and how nice it was to just fit with someone.

Tomorrow's run was one he was definitely looking forward to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shenala.tumblr.com


	4. Running Pack

The next day dawned brightly with not a cloud in the sky and just the suggestion of a crisp breeze as Steve stepped out of his apartment and onto the street before beginning the short walk to Bucky's.

It very quickly became clear though that things were not going quite to plan.

As Steve approached the front of Red Star Ink, he found Sam leaning against the wall with another man slumped next to him, seemingly asleep on Wilson's shoulder. This must be Riley, Steve mused as he waved in greeting.

He was just about to open his mouth to talk to the pair when the door to the shop opened and out stepped Bucky; wearing the brightest pair of pink shorts Steve had ever seen, paired with a long sleeve black shirt that was almost tighter than his own, with his hair scraped back into a knot at the nape of his neck.

Bucky blinked up at Steve for a second before a sleepy grin stretched across his face and a slightly gruff "g'morning Stevie" was uttered. Before the blond could reply however, Bucky noticed the presence of the other two and turned to them with a frown "I thought you two were stayin' in bed this morning?"

Without moving his head or opening his eyes, Riley replied from his slump against Sam, "we were, Sam couldn't sleep."

With sympathy clearly displayed on his face, Bucky could now see the tightness that echoed across Sam's "nightmare huh? Well, y'know we all get em. Might as well run it off right Sammy?"

Rustling up a wry smile, Sam nodded and jostled Riley into moving off him. But as the 4 men turned to start down the street they swiftly came to a halt as 6 others made their way towards them.

"What the hell? Did you all have a bad night too?!" Bucky exclaimed, dimly noting that Steve had definitely picked up on the way he had included himself in that statement.

Morita was the first to answer, gesturing to himself and the man next to him (Gabe, Steve guessed) as he did, "yeah, then it hit Gabe so we've both been awake for a couple of hours."

Dernier nodded in agreement, "oui, it was not a good night for me either."

"Alright" Bucky replied, "I guess we're all running then.. wait Dum Dum what are you doing here? Oh, wait, Steve, this is Dugan, Gabe, Riley, Monty and Peter" he finished, pointing to them in turn as they all nodded at Steve in silent greeting.

"So this is the famous Steve we've heard so much about?" Dugan teased as Bucky went wide-eyed, "our young Barnes here seems to be quite taken with you Captain Rogers".

Ducking his head to hide a shy smile, Steve nudged Bucky gently with his elbow before meeting Dugan's gaze and murmuring, "it's mutual", causing a fresh round of giggles from all the men gathered.

"And yes, Bucky, I had a bad night too, and Monty made a hell of a racket from his room, so we're joining you crazy bunch this morning."

"Dugan" Bucky began with an air of patience, "you can't run."

Here Dum Dum rolled his eyes in response, "I know I can't run but I can still enjoy a morning stroll around this lovely neighbourhood can't I?" before adding for Steve's benefit with a wiggle of his foot "can't run on the prosthetic, not that I did much running before either."

"Maybe if you'd run you wouldn't have got blown up Dum Dum" came the mischievous comment from the man next to him, causing Steve to go wide-eyed and tense but drawing nothing but chuckles from the rest as the response came via a well-placed pinch to the neck.

While Monty and Dugan jostled each other, Bucky's attention turned to the smallest of the group, "y'alright Pete?" he asked gently.

"If I say yes, Sam'll tell me off, so not really but I think it's mostly just the lack of sleep this morning, rather than the nightmare itself y'know?" the young brunet replied with a rueful smile.

"God knows what set us all off last night" Bucky grumbled as he ran his hand through his hair, pulling more strands from the now messy bun. "At least Steve got a good night's sleep, right Stevie?" he added, pulled the blond in with an arm around the waist.

"Well, not exactly..." Steve began before Bucky interrupted with a groan, "oh no, the night demons are Captain America proof, we're doomed!" causing everyone to laugh in response before Peter added, "don't worry Steve, it gets easier with time and we all look after each other, isn't that right Bucky?"

"Sure is kid. Now, let's get this show on the road before all of Brooklyn wakes up shall we?"

And with that, 6 of them began to jog, 2 of them (Dugan and Monty) followed at a more leisurely stroll, and the final 2 (no prizes for guessing which ones) sprinted away from the rest with a chorus of shouts and affectionate threats.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------  
The run itself was set to follow the route to the nearest park and with Bucky and Steve tearing off, the rest followed smoothly.

Dugan and Monty decided to sit out the rest and commandeered a bench, while the 6 joggers started their first lap around the park.

Bucky and Steve though, well, Steve wasn't going quite as easily on Bucky as he'd suggested and the blond was quietly impressed with the other's non-serum enhanced speed and stamina. But by the time they were coming around to lap the others, Bucky was starting to lag behind, and while Steve tore past with a cheeky "on your left", Bucky grabbed onto Peter and Sam, wheezing out an impressive stream of cussing before finishing with "damn super soldiers, what's he need to be that fast for? Jesus, I'm dyin!"

The super soldier in question clearly lost interest in sprinting once the competition disappeared and as he came back around to lap them again, this time he fell in next to Bucky and slung an arm around his shoulder. Not a drop of sweat or slightest sign of heavy breathing anywhere to seen.

As they all gradually wound down and returned back to where Dugan and Monty were still sitting, Steve nudged Bucky and asked quietly, "hey Buck? How busy are you today?"

Bucky thought for a moment, trying to visualise his schedule, before responding, "I have a couple of clients this morning, then booked all afternoon, why?"

Instead of answering, Steve asked about tomorrow's schedule instead and grinned when Bucky told him that it was completely free.

"Well, I was wondering if I could take you out for breakfast? Show you my favourite place?"

Bucky's smile was bright enough to compete with the burgeoning morning sun as he nodded enthusiastically, "I'd love to Stevie. Meet at yours or mine?"

"Mine is probably easier, yours is in the wrong direction, 8 okay?" Steve ventured.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------

As they all headed back towards Red Star Ink, the group gradually splintered off in their own separate directions, eventually leaving just Steve, Bucky and Peter.

Just before he crossed the street to the bookshop, the younger brunet hugged Bucky before turning to Steve, " it was good to have you with us this morning Captain Rogers, sorry, Steve. You actually wore Bucky out!" This drew a glare from the man in question before Parker continued, "anyway, I gotta get ready to open the shop for May, but it was nice meeting you!"

And just like that, it was only Bucky and Steve. Each smiling softly at the other and standing just this side of too close. After a few moments of just looking and being looked at, Bucky cleared his throat reluctantly, "I've got a client in 20, so I should probably shower and change. But, I'll see you tomorrow right Stevie?"

"Sure will" Steve nodded, before moving in for a hug that was returned easily. "See you at 8. Oh, do you mind if I text you later?"

"Of course not" Bucky scoffed, "why?"

Rubbing his neck ruefully, Steve answered with a grimace, "I've got to go to Stark Tower this afternoon for a SHIELD meeting, so I'm probably going to be bored out of my skull."

Bucky couldn't have stopped the burst of laughter that broke out of him if he'd tried, "Sorry Steve, ya just look so glum about it. Yeah, you can text me. We'd hate for Captain America to be bored in what are probably very important meetings, now, wouldn't we?" he finished with a grin and a wink.

"God, you're a jerk." Steve laughed.

"Takes one to know one, punk." came the effortless return.

"Alright, go away Barnes" Steve pushed Bucky away, carefully regulating his strength as he did so, "I'll see you tomorrow, not sure I wanna buy you breakfast anymore though..."

With a final wave as Bucky stepped through the door to the shop before locking it behind him, Steve found himself smiling helplessly as he reflected on the unexpected turn the morning had taken. He'd now met all of the Howlies, and Riley, he'd enjoyed racing Bucky, but had found he liked the gentle jog with the group even more, and tomorrow he was going to share his favourite place in Brooklyn (maybe his favourite place anywhere!) with Bucky.

Today was going to be a good day, Steve was going to make sure of it, so that nothing could tarnish the memory of the morning, and with that he strode home, still smiling, feeling lighter than he could remember.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BREAKFAST NEXT!
> 
> shenala.tumblr.com


	5. Breakfast

Despite Steve's promise to text him, Bucky didn't hear anything else from the other man after they parted ways at the shop that morning.

He'd deny it to anyone who asked but he'd reached to check his phone every time he had a break between clients, coming up empty every time. 

Eventually, at around 5 pm, with a growing ball of worry in his stomach, he messaged Steve instead. 

>>"Hey Stevie, hope the meetings weren't so bad. Still on for breakfast? B."

And then Bucky alternated glaring at his phone for the next few hours as it continued to stay silent and checking for any news reports on the Avengers or Captain America before he crawled into bed with a dark cloud hanging over him. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------  
The next morning dawned in the raw, frigid air that followed a sleepless night, the ghosts of his nightmares still clinging to his skin as Bucky pulled himself out of bed. 

Sending a dark look at his phone on the nightstand, he resolutely turned away and spent longer than strictly necessary standing under the hot spray of the shower instead. 

But by the time Bucky had dried off, gotten dressed, and pulled his hair back, there was nothing else for him to use as an avoidance tactic and so, with his heart in his throat, he unlocked his phone...

.... to see absolutely nothing. 

Still no messages from Steve. And his own text from the day before; delivered but unread. 

With a deep sigh, Bucky sank down onto the edge of his bed and checked the time, 07:30, just half an hour before he was supposed to be meeting Steve. So, he text him again. 

>> "Hi Steve. Little worried here pal. You ok? See you at 8. Bucky"

And then he waited. And waited. 

Until it was 07:50 and time for him to leave. 

Shrugging on his jacket and pulling on his boots, Bucky was only partly aware that he was gearing himself up, almost as if he was subconsciously expecting a fight of some kind. 

But James Buchanan Barnes was a man of his word. He'd said that he'd be at Steve's at 8, so he'd damn well be there at 8. Even if the same couldn't be said for the man he was meant to be meeting. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Arriving at almost exactly 8 am, Bucky sent another short text to let the blonde know he was waiting outside and then leant against the wall to see how this was going to pan out. 

At 8:15 he was getting ready to walk away and try to pull his pride back together when the rumble of a motorbike filled the air. 

And then as he looked to his left, a vision appeared.

Steve was the one on the bike. And that wasn't all. Oh no. He was on the bike, wearing his Captain America suit. Y'know the nice dark blue one that accentuated that waist just right, and made his shoulders look impossibly broad, and... no Bucky! Focus! Steve is here! Bucky physically shook himself to get his concentration back.

As Steve pulled up in front of Bucky, it was with an unmistakably sheepish look on his face before he spoke, "Morning Buck."

Suddenly robbed of speech, Bucky just stared back, leaving Steve visibly fumbling for what to say..

"Er, sorry I'm late, got called out as soon as I arrived at the tower.. and have you been waiting long?... I'm real sorry Buck, I.. oh shit, I didn't text you. Crap, I think I left my phone upstairs. Bucky, I'm so sorry." 

It was the wide-eyed, almost fearful, face that pulled Bucky back together enough for him to step closer and reply. "Y'know I was real worried about you punk." A smirk started to wriggle its way onto his lips as he continued. "I text you and nothing Stevie. Not a single message from you. And after you asked so nicely yesterday! I thought you were standing me up to be honest..."

"No Bucky, I promise.. I don't suppose you're still up for breakfast?" Steve was obviously hopeful as he dismounted the bike and moved towards his building. 

"Sure, I could eat, seein' as you kept me waiting and all.. but you need to shower and change first, because while you look good, you also stink pal." 

Cheeky grin firmly in place, Bucky saw Steve's response coming from a mile away, "You think I look good huh Barnes?"

"Get inside Rogers" he ground out as he pushed the blonde through the door and towards the stairs.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first time Bucky steps into Steve's apartment, the first thing that hits him is how empty it is. How cold it feels. How impersonal.

The walls are white and almost completely unadorned. The only wall that isn't completely bare is the one just inside the front door where coats are hanging next to a small mirror. 

There's furniture but it looks unused, the sofa is the opposite of something you can curl up on and get comfy, the bookcase too neat to be in use, the kitchen counters are bare. 

And it makes Bucky's skin itch. This is Steve's home, but it's not Steve. Why is he living in place that holds nothing of him?

It's the sharp unmistakable hiss of pain from the man next to him that draws him from his observations. And as he casts a critical eye over him for the first time, Bucky notices that Steve's suit isn't in the best of condition, and neither is the man wearing it.

"Shit Steve, you're bleeding! Shouldn't you have gone to medical or something?"

"Nah," Steve shrugs as he starts to peel off the top part of his uniform, "they know I'll be all healed up by tonight so they just leave me to it." 

It's that carelessness piled on top of the bleakness of the apartment, on top of the residual worry from Steve's lack of communication that spurs Bucky into action, fuelled by fury as much as anything else.

"Right that's it, I'm taking charge."

Steve's response to this declaration is simply to blink trustingly at the brunet in front of him.

"You" he accentuates with a pointed finger even though there's no-one else he could mean "are going to get into the shower, not hot, not cold, warm, understand? You're going to clean up, carefully because you're still bleeding, don't look at me like that Rogers. And then you're going to let me patch you up and then you'll get changed into the clothes I put out for you and then we're going to breakfast. And then.." Steve's eyebrows raise as Bucky continues at a breakneck pace, "then you're coming back to mine, where you will park your ass on the sofa, stroke my cat, that's not a euphemism you punk don't try me, eat everything I give you and you will rest. Is that understood Captain Rogers?" 

Bucky isn't sure if it's the instructions or the use of his rank at the end, but Steve straightens himself up to his full height, shoulders back, and snaps off a perfect salute with a perfunctory "Yes, sir" before dropping it for a shy, but still bright, grin and a quiet, "thanks Buck, you don't have to.."

"Don't even think about finishing that sentence. Shower. Now." 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

After he emerges from the shower, a towel wrapped around his waist and golden hair dripping water down an expanse of bare skin, Bucky manoeuvres Steve into sitting on his bed as he sets out the first aid kit he'd already unearthed. 

"Right, give me a rundown, what hurts?"

Bucky can see that Steve is ready to diminish what he's feeling and quickly adds, "don't hide it, Stevie, I wanna know, ok?"

He knows he was right when Steve has to take a deep breath before answering, "there's a cut on my left thigh but otherwise fine from hips down, it's already scabbed over so that'll be gone by tonight. 2 bruised ribs on the left, 1 cracked on the right, and then just what you can see."

"Head okay?" Bucky can see that Steve's eyes are clear and focussed but wants the confirmation anyway, and when he gets it, he sets out carefully cleaning each cut before applying antiseptic cream, thankfully none need stitches but those that haven't scabbed over get dressings before he carefully smooths arnica over the bruises. "Not much I can do about the cracked one, but we'll put an ice pack on them later. Do you have any painkillers?" 

Somehow Steve's eyes looked bluer than normal as he locked them on Bucky's own, "I took one when I got out the shower, it'll knock the edge off. I just, Buck, I.. thank you."

"For what?" Bucky's voice did nothing to hide his surprise.

Steve laughed but there was an unmistakable sadness tinting the sound, "It's been a real long time since someone looked after me Bucky. Thank you."

Throat suddenly very tight, Bucky saw the wetness in his own eyes reflected back to him and nodded, "anytime Stevie. Any time. Now.." here he cleared his throat and stood to collect himself, "Time to get dressed Rogers, here ya go"

"Really Buck? Sweatpants?" Steve looked from the clothes to the man with a raised eyebrow.

Haughtily Bucky avoided eye contact, "You're injured, it's breakfast, sweatpants are the obvious choice. Besides, I'm wearing sweatpants, they're black so they blend in." 

"Alright, but I don't normally wear them out of the house.."

"Steve, comfort, it's the new thing, let's try it yeah?" 

"Ok.."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Breakfast was apparently going to be at a tiny old diner that Bucky had walked past countless times but never visited, something he regretted when they stepped inside as an older lady came striding up to Steve before grabbing his face in between her hands sternly, "Steven Rogers where have you been?"

Blushing sheepishly, Steve was quick to apologise, "sorry Marie, I've been busy, but I wanted to bring Bucky to breakfast so there was only one choice.."

Here Marie's attention left Steve and moved onto the brunet instead, "Bucky huh? Is this the guy you were telling me about last time Steve? Wait, aren't you Winnie's boy?"

"Er, yes ma'am" Bucky replied uncertainly, gaze flicking back to Steve for support.

"I know Winnie, lovely gal, she comes to our drama club, doesn't she? With Rebecca?"

"Yeah, that's right, they're always sayin' how much fun it is." 

"Hmm" Marie cast another appraising look over Bucky before turning back to Steve, "alright Rogers, I'll let you sit down, but don't stay away so long next time y'hear?"

With the pair seated next to the window and their orders given to Marie, Bucky faced Steve curiously, "how did you find this place?" 

The blonde rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged, "it's always been here. Marie was only a babe in arms when I left for the war, but the diner has always been in her family. I had a coupla shifts here when I was well enough. It was one of the first places I looked up when I moved back." 

"That's great Stevie" Bucky grinned, "and look at how much food is on that plate!" he continued as Marie arrived with their order, "Ma'am I don't think I can eat all that, we're not all Captain America y'know."

To his surprise, she merely cackled in response, "Oh please, little Steve Rogers always ate like a starved cow. Now he's just the size of the cow he's eating!"

"Hey!" Steve protests went largely unheard as Bucky and Marie lost themselves in laughter for a few moments. 

As they both dived into their food, the conversation dropped away into an easy and comfortable silence until they'd both eaten their fill (which was considerably less for Bucky than it was Steve, unsurprisingly). 

After paying and promising Marie that they'd both be back soon, they stepped out onto the street and into immediate sync as they made their way home. 

"D'ya need anything from yours for tonight?" Bucky asked, ignoring the raised eyebrow from Steve. 

"Er, I don't think so?" 

"Well, you can always wear my clothes" Bucky then added wryly, "got your phone?"

Eyes on his feet, Steve was instantly apologetic again, "I'm still sorry Buck, I never would've meant to ignore you like that."

"I'm just teasing Stevie, besides doesn't matter now does it? We still had a good breakfast."  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bucky had considered the issue closed, however, Steve clearly did not because no sooner had he sat down on Bucky's sofa and let Winter curl up in his lap than he was slipping into his determined, look-how-sharp-my-jaw-looks face and stating "I'm going to list you as an emergency contact." 

Bucky turned, shocked, from where he had been making them cups of hot cocoa in the kitchen to stare at the tense lines of the soldier on his couch. When nothing else was said, he prompted with a confused "what?"

Steve shifted to face him, expression carefully locked down, "If you don't mind, I want to have you listed as my emergency contact. That way you'll be told if I get sent out on a mission if I can't tell you first. Stark set up a system where you can call and get a basic status update, and you'll know if I get hurt or anything. I mean, obviously you don't have to, I'd understand if you didn't..."

"Shut up Steve." 

Bucky carried the mugs over and set them down on the coffee table before sitting next to Steve and turning to make eye contact, "thank you. That would be.. good. Yeah, it'd be good to know."

Blinking away his surprise as for some reason he'd expected a protest, Steve could only repeat "good" back at him before taking a scolding drink of his cocoa. Coughing slightly to hide the burn that wasn't the main cause of the red tinging his cheeks.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once they'd settled themselves into the sofa, with Winter nestled between them, their feet comfortably tangled together on the coffee table, they barely moved throughout the rest of the day. Only trips to the kitchen for food, or another drink, or to replace Steve's ice pack, or to the bathroom tore them out of their only little world as they watched tv, drew, read and relaxed into each other's company. 

After dinner, each man battled with their own conflict as Bucky desperately wanted Steve to stay the night but didn't want to force the blonde into doing anything he didn't want to do, while Steve wanted to stay with Bucky but didn't want to overstay his welcome and impose. 

Eventually, Bucky decided to just jump in feet first and snapped Steve out of his thoughts by simply asking "sofa or bed?"

Steve's face was a mask of disbelief as he questioned, "what?"

Bracing himself for any backlash, Bucky set his jaw and continued, "well, do you want to sleep on the sofa tonight or share with me?"

"Oh, er, Buck, I can always go home..."

"No, pick one."

"The couch is fine."

"I know it's fine, but do you want to sleep here or in with me?"

"I don't want you to be uncomfortable Buck.."

"It's a big bed Rogers, we'll be fine."

"Bed it is then. Thanks, Buck."  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

They moved around each other effortlessly as they both got ready for bed as if they had been living in each others space for years. 

Teeth brushed, faces washed, pyjamas on and dressings changed for Steve, they both tentatively crawled into bed before rolling onto their sides to face each other in the middle. 

After a few moments of simply staring, it was Steve's turn to leap as he moved to place his hand gently on top of Bucky's before squeezing it with a smile, "thank you for today Buck, it was perfect." 

Curling a grin back, Bucky shook his head against the pillow, "you've got nothing to thank me for Stevie, I enjoyed it just as much as you. Maybe next time we can do it without you bein' injured though yeah?"

Laughing in reply, Steve nodded, "sounds good Bucky" 

Seamlessly and against all precedence, the pair both slipped easily into sleep, hands still loosely clasped together as gentle snores filled the room while Winter moved into the space between their feet.

**Author's Note:**

> So, I have some idea of where this is going to go (Let's hope I manage to make it work) BUT I need your help... what are some of the really simple pleasures in your life? Fresh coffee? Baths? Let me know, please! 
> 
> shenala.tumblr.com


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